Space and Astronomy News from Seattle and the Pacific Northwest

Menu

Astro events for the new year

Happy New Year from Seattle Astronomy! Help ring in 2018 with a number of events this week.

The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Unfortunately, viewing will be difficult this year because the Moon was full on New Year’s Day and its light will wash out many of the meteors. This article from EarthSky has info about viewing this meteor shower, and our stargazing sites page has some ideas for places to go to see them in the Northwest.

The Tacoma club also plans one of its public nights beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 6 at the Fort Steilacoom campus of Pierce College. The all-weather presentation will be about 110 celestial objects; we’re guessing that means a look at the Messier catalog. There will be stargazing if weather permits.

UW Astronomy colloquium

The first University of Washington astronomy colloquium of fall quarter is set for 4 p.m. Thursday, January 4 in the Physics/Astronomy auditorium on the Seattle campus. UW postdoc Vid Iršič will discuss the intergalactic medium and the role it plays in constraining warm dark matter and fuzzy dark matter models.